The Head Girl and the Quidditch Captain
by BkwrmGfarb
Summary: Okay, I know, stupid title. Anyway, this is major Harry/Hermione fluff, and it's also my best fic ever (in my opinion). Seventh year.


h_hr_wAN.html Okay, I'm insane to be posting this all in one chapter. The story is over 8,000 words. Seventeen pages typed, size twelve, single spaced. But hey, what can I say? I love Harry/Hermione! This story is major H/Hr fluff. If you are against H/Hr, then you'd better hit the back button right away. This is full of Harry/Hermione. It is also my best story ever. I hope everyone likes it, R & R, please! Enjoy!  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. Those lucky peeps are Warner Bros. (I can't wait till Friday, then we get to see Harry Potter in theaters!), Scholastic Inc, and the wonderful Joanne Kathleen Rowling. All hail J. K. Rowling!  
  
Oh, and btw, I know that Hermione is slightly OOC, but this is a romance story, so I had to sacrifice the mentioning of the N.E.W.T.s. Sorry.  
  
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She hated when he smiled at her like that. It made her blush, and she didn't want all of Hogwarts knowing that she was in love. After all, there were only so many people in Hogwarts, everyone would know that Hermione Granger, the bookworm, the prefect student, Head Girl, was in love with Harry Potter, Quidditch captain, the boy who lived, the hero, by the end of the day. Everyone knew that Harry was dating Ginny Weasley, the pretty red head who many people who had met Harry's parents said looked like Lily Potter at that age. Hermione couldn't afford to give it away. If she ever did, it wouldn't be now. Not while Harry was dating her best friend. She would have to wait... Like she had waited for so many years. Ever since fourth year, when she had hoped that he would ask her to the Yule Ball but had tried to deny her feelings for him by going with Victor, and in fifth year, when he had invited Cho Chang to the Valentines Day dance at Hogsmeade, and in sixth year, when he had started dating Ginny. Hermione couldn't tell him after Cho dumped him, because he had seemed so dejected, and now she'd have to wait until he had been dumped by or dumped another girl after he and Ginny broke up, since she couldn't just start dating her best friend's ex-boyfriend... If only he wouldn't smile at her like that.  
He hated how she had to look so cute when she dazed off in Professor Binns's class. It made him feel nervous, wondering what she was thinking about. Was she thinking about him, or some other boy? But he couldn't tell her how he felt. He was dating Ginny Weasley. He couldn't just leave her because of what she would call a crush, a childhood crush. Besides, he was Harry Potter. Harry Potter, the Quidditch captain, the brave boy that had faced Voldemort so many times, and lived. He had to date one of the pretty, popular, brainless girls that hung around him all the time. Not that Ginny was brainless, but he'd rather have Hermione. He had never had a chance to tell her how he felt... In fourth year, when he couldn't work up the nerve to ask her at first, and by the time he thought that he could do it, Victor Krum had asked her. Like the time in fifth year when he had tried to convince himself that he wasn't in love with her, and asked Cho instead... And then he had started to date Ginny, the stupid mistake that was. And he knew that it wouldn't be right to break up with Ginny and immediately ask her best friend out, it would make him look like a jerk. Then she'd never go out with him... If only she didn't make him feel so nervous.  
Harry Potter and Hermione Granger sighed, and continued to stare at each other, until they made eye contact. Quickly, they turned away, embarrassed and worried that the other had figured out their secret. Both were feeling rather stupid about their obsession with the other. After all, they presumed, it's not like he/she thinks of me as anything but a friend.  
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"Parvati."  
"What do you want, Hermione? Can't you see I'm busy?"  
"I need your advice."  
"You? You, the book nerd, need my advice?"  
"Well, you see... I've had a crush on a certain boy, who will remain anonymous, since... oh, since I started Hogwarts. But, the thing is... he's dating a friend of mine, and I don't know what to do!"  
"Oh... I know who the anonymous boy is. I hate to say it Hermione, but you make it rather obvious."  
"I am?"  
"Yeah, I can tell because you keep staring at his picture in my photographs."  
"Oh..."  
"So, you like Harry, but you can't do anything about it, because he's dating Ginny, and you want to tell him, but that would kill Ginny. Right?"  
"Exactly!"  
"Well, you're right, you can't just tell him. Here's the deal. If he dumps Ginny, than you have to wait. Comfort Ginny instead. If they break up on mutual agreement, ask Ginny about it. But if Ginny dumps him, go for it!"  
"So basically I now have to hope that Ginny dumps him, preferably before the year end dance, right?"  
"You got it."  
"But Ginny will never dump him, she's had a crush on him since she first saw him."  
"Things change. I hear that Dean Thomas is trying to catch her attention."  
"Thanks for the advice, Parvati."  
"Don't worry about it. I'll just end up having you help me on my Astronomy homework sometime."  
"Great..."  
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Ginny and Harry are sitting together in the common room, in front of the fire. Harry's mind, however, isn't with Ginny, but up the stairs in the seventh year girl's dormitory. Hermione's dormitory.  
"So Parvati told Lavender that Sally Anne had told her that apparently a Ravenclaw seventh year had a crush on Lavender, but we couldn't be sure, because Sally Anne had heard it from someone who had heard a bunch of Slytherins talking about it in the hall... Harry, are you listening to a word I say?"  
"Huh? Oh yeah... of course I am, Ginny. There was something about someone having a crush on someone... I can't remember exactly who." Ginny groaned.  
"Harry, for the past few weeks your mind is never here when we're together! You haven't listened to a thing I said for ages. Harry... I think it's time we start seeing other people."  
"What? What the... oh. Okay, Ginny. I guess I'll... go up to my dorm for a while."   
Dejected, though not so upset as most people would be when their girlfriend of over a year had broken up with them, Harry trudged up the steps to his dorm, where Ron and Dean were talking.  
"Hey Harry, what's up?"  
"Nothing."  
"Harry, I've been your best friend for over six years, you think I won't realize when something is wrong with you?"  
"Well..."  
"What is it?"  
"Your sister just dumped me."  
"She did? Crap, I thought that it would end up being you who broke up with her, after all, she's the one who fell in love with you before she even met you."  
"Wait a minute... that means that she's single again, right?"  
"Dean, I'm warning you... Hurt my sister's feelings, and I kill you, got it?"  
"Right! Okay, sorry I can't be more comforting, Harry, but, well..."  
"I know, I know. Go get her, Dean." Harry plopped down on his bed. Well, he mused, at least now I'm single and can ask Hermione to the dance. A small smile crept onto his face.  
"What so great, Harry?"  
"Well.. the reason your sister broke up with me was because she noticed that I haven't really been paying attention to her anymore. I've been paying attention to this girl that I really like.. I've liked this girl for ages. And, well, at least I'm single now, so I can ask her to go to the year end dance, it's coming up in a few weeks."  
"Do I know her?"  
"Yes."  
"Is she single?"  
"As far as I know."  
"Then go for it!"  
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"Hey Ginny, how's it going."  
"I broke up with Harry today."  
"You what? You broke up with him? Omigod..."  
"He likes someone else, I can tell. He's probably going to ask her to the dance now. I don't care, I already got another date."  
"Already?"  
"Yeah, Harry went up to his dorm after I dumped him. I guess Dean must of been in the room, since a few minutes later, he ran down stairs and asked me."  
"Cute."  
"Yeah, but I don't care. So, do you have a date yet?"  
"Not yet. But... I've got my eye on someone. I think I'll ask him sometime in the next few days."  
"Go for it, you can snag any guy!"  
"Sure Ginny, sure."  
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Dinner time at Hogwarts. Tomorrow night is the year end dance. While all around them people are chattering on and on about their dates, the dance itself, and what they are going to wear, two Gryffindor seventh years are oddly silent. Both are contemplating the same thing. Will he/she think I'm stupid, asking him/her to the dance? Should I ask him/her or wait and see if he/she will ask me? Shyly, at the same moment, Harry and Hermione peer up at each other. Seeing the other looking at each other, they immediately turn away. Noticing their crush turn away, they look up again. Harry slowly smiles at Hermione, who maintains eye contact, even though she is practically melting. She returns the smile. They finish dinner, constantly glancing up at each other. Finally, they finish their deserts, and start to walk out of the Great Hall. As they reach the doors, one of them finally works up the courage to ask the other.  
"Er- Hermione? Could I talk to you for a minute?"  
"Oh- sure, Harry. What is it?" Hermione smiled, a tiny smile that made Harry get a little nervous.  
"Well... uh.. you see... oh, what the hell, Hermione, would you go to the year end dance with me?" Hermione's smile widened into a large grin.  
"I never thought you'd ask." Harry started to return her smile, "Of course I'll go with you, Harry." Harry's grin now could rival Lockhart's in terms of size and number of teeth showing. Working up his nerve, he leaned over, and gave her a quick peck on the cheek. Hermione turned bright red, even more red than Ron's hair, mostly because a very important member of the gossip mill at Hogwarts had just walked past them- Parvati Patil.  
"What did I tell you Hermione?"  
"Okay, okay, you were right for once. But I never used your advice anyway, he asked me first. Therefore, I'm not helping you with your homework. Sorry, you can do it yourself. However, if you could help me get ready for the dance..."  
"Deal!" Parvati walked away, obviously looking for someone to help her spread the news that the Gryffindor Quidditch Captain had just kissed the Head Girl.  
"What was that about?"  
"Don't even ask, Harry Potter."  
"Okay. Whatever you say." More confident than he had been about asking Hermione, Harry slipped his hand into hers, as the two of them walked towards Gryffindor Tower.  
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After all long night of the traditional homework, card games, wizard chess, and Quidditch discussions, Harry and Ron went up to their dormitory, where they could finally talk.  
"So, Harry, what's this that I hear about you kissing Hermione." Harry smirked.  
"I told you that I liked someone who you knew that was single. I just didn't mention who it was."  
"But- Hermione ? I mean, Harry, she's been one of our best friends for years."  
"And I've liked her for years."  
"Crap, you are good at hiding who you like, you know that?"  
"Yeah, unlike you."  
"Hey, I'm not that bad!"  
"Wait a second, what's that noise downstairs? It sounds like Ginny."  
"Crap, we'd better get down there fast."  
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While Ron and Harry had been discussing Harry's longtime crush on Hermione, down in the common room, Ginny Weasley had been yelling at her best friend at the top of her lungs.  
"Hermione Granger, how could you? Harry and I only broke up a couple of weeks ago, you know that? And now I hear that you kissed him? Really, Herm, I thought that you had more class than that. I guess not. Oh well, you can forget about this friendship. I don't socialize with sluts that kiss their best friend's ex a week after her friend broke up with him."  
"Ginny, please, listen to me-"  
"Why should I?"  
"Ginny, you didn't get the truth from Parvati and Lavender, you know that they always twist the truth."  
"Than what is the truth, hum? Your twisted story about how he asked you to the dance, then he kissed you?"  
"She's telling the truth, Ginny." Harry got downstairs, and spoke up on his friend's behalf, "She didn't do anything to offend you. After dinner, I pulled Herm aside, and asked her to the dance. She accepted, and I was so happy that I gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. Oh, and so you know, Ginny, Hermione Granger is not a slut. Call her that again... And Ron will end up needing to kill me, like he's threaten to do to Dean." Ginny narrowed her eyes. If looks could kill, than her eyes when sending out Avada Kedavra s. But she wasn't an idiot. She knew when she had lost.  
"Don't think I've forgiven you, Hermione. Got it?" Hermione nodded. Ginny turned around, and stormed up stairs. Harry went over to the couch where Hermione was sitting, and joined her.  
"Are you okay, Herm?"  
"Yeah... I'm fine. I can't believe that Ginny would do something like that though..."  
"I know, I didn't expect anything like this to happen."  
"Wait a sec- Harry, you weren't just pulling my leg when you told me that you had asked Hermione to the dance?"  
"Of course he wasn't, Ron, you dolt. Do you think he'd lie about something like that?"  
"Um... well, I just wasn't so sure that I should believe him."  
"I guess I can understand that. After all, I'm not exactly like those girls that hang around Harry all the time. Say, maybe it's a good thing that Parvati saw us in the hallway!"  
"A good thing? What are, you, insane?"  
"It means that by tomorrow morning everyone will have heard, so I'll be able to tell your little fan club to lay their hands off of my date."  
"Um... right. Whatever you say, Hermione." Ron just looked between his two friends and sighed.  
"This is just great, now I'm the only one without a date. At least before today I wasn't alone, Hermione didn't have a date, but now... And how the hell am I supposed to find a date tonight or tomorrow?!"  
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Saturday. The day of the year end dance. Next week, the seventh years take their N.E.W.T.s, and in two weeks, they will graduate. The sixth and seventh years are all excited and nervous. By two o'clock in the afternoon, every girl in the sixth and seventh years has disappeared up to her dorm, to get ready for her date, or to make sure that she looks stunning for any dateless boys. The dance is at a small club in Hogsmeade, which Dumbledore has arranged to be rented for the night. Around five o'clock, two hours before the dance starts, boys start to get ready. Harry and Ron go up at six, to get their dress robes on and make sure that they aren't as messy as they are on a normal Saturday. As her date gets ready, Hermione is still doing her hair. She has her new dress robes on, and has used Sleekeasy's Hair Potion, but has not yet decided how she should do her hair. Finally, Parvati Patil comes up with a solution.  
"Here, Hermione. French twist, classic updo. Add a rhinestone topped hair stick, and tada! Perfection." Parvati gathers Hermione's hair into a ponytail, twists it upward, and tucks in the end, then adds a purple stone topped hair chopstick. "There, it matches your robes." Hermione examines herself in the mirror.  
"Perfect! Thanks, Parvati." She gets out a small make up bag, but judging from the amount of make up it contains, she has bespelled it to hold as much stuff as she puts into it. She selects a black eyeliner, and adds purple eyeshadow in two shades: a deeper shade of violet, and a paler lavender shadow. A few coats of black mascara and a bit of shimmery lip gloss finishes off her make up. Finally, Hermione reaches for a pair off dangling amethyst earrings and a matching bracelet.  
"Looking good, girl!"  
"You aren't looking bad yourself, Lavender. So, who is your date?"  
"Seamus." Hermione nods, not surprised one bit. After all, Lavender and Seamus had gone to every dance together since the Yule Ball.  
"Parvati? Who are you going with?"  
"I'm going stag. I've got my eye on someone else without a date, though."  
"As in you're trying to catch Ron."  
"How did you guess?"  
"He got annoyed that he doesn't have a date while Harry and I do." The seventh year Gryffindor girls laugh.  
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Time for the dance. Every boy with a date is waiting for the lucky girl in the Entrance Hall. One by one, the girls walk in, and get in a carriage with their date. Parvati, in blue dress robes, strolls past the boys and gets into a carriage with her twin, also dateless. Ginny walks past Harry with a glare, then walks off with Dean, her white robes swishing. Lavender Brown greets Seamus with a kiss on the cheek, before dragging him out to a carriage. Finally, with only himself and Malfoy left in the hall, Harry wonders where Hermione is. Did he miss her?  
"Where's your date, Potter? Do you even have one, or are you just standing here to make me think that you have one?"  
"Well, I guess that Parvati doesn't gossip with Slytherins, or you would already know who my date was, and be insulting me about my choice in girls."  
"What are you talking about, Potter?"  
"I mean that if the Slytherins heard any of the gossip, they would know that I am going with Hermione Granger, and you would be calling her a Mudblood, which I would have to kill you for."  
"You would do that for me, Harry?" Hermione had finally made it!  
"Hermione!" Harry turned to face his date, and was suddenly speechless. "Wow... you look... wow." Hermione giggled.  
"I know what you mean, Harry. Oh, and Malfoy? I think that it's more likely that you are the dateless one, since a girl would have to be insane to date you."  
"Mudblood."  
"Oh, is that all you can come up with, Malfoy? After all, it's getting kind of... old. Let's go, Harry. Oh, and by the way, Malfoy, I heard Millicent Bulstrode talking- Pansy's already gone, she and Goyle left early so that you wouldn't see them."  
"What?!" Harry and Hermione exited the Entrance Hall, hand in hand. As soon as the door of the carriage was closed, Hermione burst into a fit of giggles.  
"He fell for it! He actually fell for it!"  
"He fell for what?"  
"Do you think that Pansy Parkinson would actually dump Malfoy? This way, he'll leave before she gets downstairs, then she'll go to Hogsmeade, dateless, and we'll get to watch her scream at Malfoy for dumping her, when he thinks that she dumped him... It'll be hilarious!"  
"You what ? Hermione Granger, what happened to being the perfect girl? Remember? You, the Head Girl, who never breaks a rule?"  
"Except for when I went after the Sorcerers Stone with you, and I helped you save Sirius in our third year, and I helped you with Summoning Charms in fourth year when you were supposed to work out how to get past the dragon on your own..."  
"Okay, okay, so you've broken the rules before. But still, since when does Hermione Granger pull pranks?"  
"I figure that since our N.E.W.T.s are coming up, I may as well have a little fun before I have to ace my N.E.W.T.s."  
"Okay... right. Whatever you say, Hermione. Come on, let's go find Ron."  
"Yeah, I'd say that Parvati will have snagged him by now.'  
"Parvati Patil is trying to get Ron ?"  
"Yep. I found out while we were getting ready."  
"Poor Ron..."  
"I know what you mean." As the carriage pulled to a stop, Harry stood up, and grabbed the door.  
"My lady?" Harry put his arm out, and helped Hermione out of the carriage.  
"Thank you, Harry." The two of them walked down to the dance. Their eyes scanned the room, looking for the flash of red hair that was their friend Ron.  
"There he is! Harry, let's go, we don't want to be near the entrance when Malfoy and Parkinson show."  
"Yeah, that wouldn't be pretty." The pair pushed their way through the crowd of dancing teenagers. "Ron! Hey, Ron! Over here!"  
"Harry, Hermione, what took you guys?"  
"I was taking my time getting ready, the only other girl with a date that wasn't down when we got there was Pansy Parkinson, she was coming with Malfoy."  
"But Hermione has pulled her best prank ever- she told Malfoy that Pansy dumped him for Goyle, Malfoy left before Pansy made it downstairs!"  
"Oh man... this is going to be hilarious !" A fast song began to play. Harry turned to Hermione.  
"May I have this dance?" Hermione smiled, and took Harry's hand as they headed out to the dance floor. Parvati Patil followed them with her eyes, until they disappeared into the crowd. She then turned her twinkling eyes to Ron, who extended his hand. Parvati giggled, then took his hand and started to dance.  
For a few hours, everything was perfect. The food, the dates, the music, everything. Around ten o'clock at night, a large thump was heard outside. Harry, who had been in the middle of a slow dance with Hermione, ran outside, as he pulled his wand out of his pocket, where it had remained hidden the entire night.  
"Harry!" Hermione ran after him, also revealing her wand. "Harry, wait!" But Harry wouldn't stop. Not until he got outside, and saw the horrific scene that lay outside the door.  
Death Eaters littered the street, cursing the running civilians. Already, half of the city lay in ruin, as Death Eaters destroyed the building. And there, in the middle of the ruins, he stood. Him. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. You-Know-Who. Tom Marvolo Riddle. The Dark Lord, who had rearranged the letters of his birth name to spell one sentence. I am Lord Voldemort . Voldemort, a name that could bring many powerful witches and wizards to their knees. The evil one turned around, as if surveying the scene, until he saw the two seventh year students standing outside in dress robes, staring, looks of intense hatred on their faces. Behind them, were a few other students who had been brave enough to face him, including Ron Weasley, Dean Thomas, Ginny Weasley, Lavender Brown, Seamus Finnigan, and Neville Longbottom, along with other Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff sixth and seventh years.  
"Mr. Potter, how nice of you to join us on this lovely evening. And you brought a Mudblood for us to play with, how thoughtful."  
"Never call Hermione Granger a Mudblood in front of me, got it? I don't let Draco Malfoy, nor do any of us let his father, Lucius Malfoy, and I'm not going to change with you."  
"Are you so sure of that, Potter? You won't let me call your girlfriend a Mudblood? Well then, looks like I'll have to make you let me. Avada Kedavra !"  
"No!" But the spell bypassed Hermione. Instead, it hit one of Harry's other great friends. By the time Harry turned around, Ronald Weasley was lying on the ground, dead. "You monster... what did Ron ever do to you? Nothing, that's what! This is between you and me, leave my friends out of it."  
"You and me, eh? Then let's finish a duel we started three years ago, near my father's grave."  
"Let's. Everyone, clear off, I don't want any of you to get hurt." Most of the crowd left, but three people remained, refusing to leave their friend to duel the most powerful dark wizard ever. "What are you guys doing? I told you, clear off!"  
"No, Harry. We aren't leaving you to fight him on your own."  
"But why? What do you have for a reason to fight him? He killed my parents, he killed my best friend."  
"He put my parents where they are today. His Death Eaters. They are the ones that tortured my parents when I was a baby. Because of them, I grew up with Gram, visiting my parents in St. Mungo's every holiday."  
"Okay, you have a reason, Neville. But Ginny, Herm, clear off, please!"  
"He just killed my brother, Harry."  
"Ron wouldn't want you to get killed!" But Ginny stood firm. "Hermione, please, won't you leave? If he got you..."  
"I know, Harry. But I love you, and I'm not going to let you fight him like this. We'll fight together, protect each other, always." Tears were beginning to form in Hermione's eyes, the same eyes that had, only weeks before, stared at Harry across the desks in Professor Binns's class. But now, something was different. Now, those eyes held tears of love.  
"Herm..." Harry couldn't say anymore. "Okay. If you three aren't going to leave, than you may as well help me. Ready?"  
"We've been ready for a while, Harry."  
"You. Voldemort. Since my friends have refused to leave my side, you are welcome to chose three Death Eaters to assist you in this duel."  
"I fight alone, Potter. Always, alone."  
"Fine with me." Harry motioned to his friends to circle around. "Okay, here's the strategy. I'm good at Disarming, so why don't you three keep him distracted, then I'll disarm him. After that, it shouldn't be hard."  
"Good plan."  
"Though, why are we in a Quidditch huddle to plan this?"  
"Because this is how I talk strategy with the Gryffindor team. Okay then, team. Break!" The foursome of Gryffindors stood shoulder to shoulder, facing the wizard who had destroyed so many lives, including their own. "Voldemort. If you are certain that you wish to fight alone, than I want you to instruct your Death Eaters not to interfere under any circumstances. Understand?"  
"Sure, Potter. The Death Eaters will not interfere. Or they will be killed. Now then, shall we begin?"  
"We shall, after I do one thing that I need to do before I face you, since I might be killed." Harry walked to the other end of the line of Gryffindors, where Hermione Granger stood. Working up his nerve, Harry leaned over, and kissed her. "I wanted to make sure I would have done that before I died."  
"Harry..." Hermione was speechless. After the shock of being kissed by the one person she had loved since she was only eleven years old, and entered the last compartment of the Hogwarts Express had passed, and Hermione had realized what was going on, Hermione kissed him back. "I love you."  
"I love you too, Hermione." When the two pulled back from their kiss, tears were forming in Hermione's eyes.  
"Harry... please... be careful, I can't live without you.."  
"Oh, how sweet. Potter and his Mudblood girlfriend. Well then, girl, if you can't live without him, then let's make it so that you won't have to. Avada Kedavra !"  
"No!" Harry tried to grab the love of his life before she would be killed, but even after he attempted to pull her out of the curse's reach, she was hit, and died in his arms. Harry was overcome with a fit of rage and sadness. "How could you? What did Hermione ever do to you? Nothing! How dare you kill her! How dare you?" Overcome with his rage, Harry decided to destroy the wand that had helped kill his true love. "Expelliarumus !" Harry grabbed his worst enemy's wand, and in one sharp motion, snapped it into two, before burning it into ash with one of Hermione's favorite fire spells, the little ball of blue flames that she had used to set Snape's robes on fire in their first year. "And now, Voldemort.. Now I kill you." Harry was so upset, that he didn't realize what he was doing. "Avada Kedavra !" Voldemort's tall form crumpled in its robes, dead.  
Realizing that the Dark Lord was dead, and not wanting to get caught, the Death Eaters apparated away. All except one. Peter Pettigrew transformed into a rat, and tried to scurry away. Harry, however, was faster than the rat.  
"Accio Wormtail !" Harry grabbed to rat. "Just because I'm going to be miserable for the rest of my life doesn't mean Sirius has to be." Finally, Harry broke down. Still holding onto the rat, he fell to his knees, sobbing. Instantly, Ginny and Neville ran up to comfort him.  
"Harry, please, calm down, please, stop crying. Harry, please."  
"Harry, it's okay, you killed him. It's over."  
"You don't understand, do you? I have lost everything to him. First, my parents. Then, his Death Eater, Peter Pettigrew, escaped from my godfather, so Sirius was in Azkaban for thirteen years, and I was brought up by my aunt and uncle. Then he killed Ron, my best friend, for no reason, and now Hermione is dead too!" Harry calmed down for a moment, his voice quieting. "I loved her." Harry knelt to the ground, sobbing.  
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A week has past since the destruction of Voldemort. Harry has been excused from all his exams, because of his grief. Today, while his friends take their last two N.E.W.T.s, Harry will be attending the trial of Sirius Black, who is on charge for murder of Peter Pettigrew and thirteen Muggles. With him is Albus Dumbledore, and Remus 'Moony' Lupin. As the trial begins, Harry is called to the stand. He leaves a rat in a small cage by his seat. As is customary at all trials of such importance, he drinks a bit of Veritaseum. His interrogation begins.  
"Before we begin, Mr. Potter, we must make sure that the Veritaseum is working. What is your full name?"  
"Harry Potter. No longer first name, no middle name."  
"Alright then, Mr. Potter, could you name each of your relatives?"  
"My parents, Lily and James Potter, were murdered by Voldemort when I was a year old. My uncle and aunt, Vernon and Petunia Dursley, raised me alongside their son, Dudley, my cousin. My only other relative that I am aware of is my godfather, Sirius Black."  
"Thank you, Mr. Potter. Now then, is your godfather, Mr. Black, innocent?"  
"Yes."  
"Then what proof do you have of this?"  
"Wormtail."  
"Who?"  
"Wormtail- that was the nickname that was used for him among the Marauders, my father, Sirius, and Remus, also known as Prongs, Padfoot, and Moony. Peter Pettigrew. He, Sirius, and my father are unregistered Animagis. Wormtail can change into a rat."  
"Where can we find Mr. Pettigrew?"  
"In the cage on my seat, between Remus and Professor Dumbledore."  
"Thank you Mr. Potter. That will be all." Harry walked back to his seat. "Oh, one moment, Mr. Potter, would you give us Mr. Pettigrew?"  
"Of course." Harry handed over the cage that contained the proof of his godfather's innocence. "Can we make this quick, though? I want to be able to see my friends when they finish their N.E.W.T.s. back at Hogwarts." Sirius's lawyer nodded, agreeing to be quick.  
"Of course, Mr. Potter. Would someone do the honors of detransforming this rat?"  
"Moony? Count of three, like we did in the Shack?"  
"Sounds good to me, Padfoot. I'll count. One. Two. Three!" No longer was a little rat in the cage. Instead, the cage had been broken, and Peter Pettigrew appeared.  
"Well then, it really is Peter Pettigrew. Good. The defense calls Peter Pettigrew to the stand."  
"What- what's going on?"  
"Your old friends Mssrs. Black and Lupin just detransformed you. We are at Mr. Black's trial. Sit at the stand, take some Veritaseum, and someone will shackle you in."  
"O- okay." Wormtail sat down, nervous as can be. After sipping from the Veritaseum, two Ministry wizards shackled him in.  
"What is your name?"  
"Peter Pettigrew. But the people I was friends with at Hogwarts, and my master, called me Wormtail."  
"Why did they call you Wormtail?"  
"My Animagi form is a rat."  
"As we saw when you were in that cage.. Mr. Pettigrew, who was Secret Keeper for Lily and James Potter?"  
"I was. Padfoot- that would be Sirius Black- suggested it. He thought that it would be more likely that he would be hunted by You-Know-Who. He thought I would never be suspected."  
"You worked for He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named?"  
"Yes. I started spying for him a year before I was named the Potter's Secret Keeper."  
"Is Mr. Black innocent of murder of the thirteen Muggles that were killed during your supposed murder?"  
"Yes. That was me."  
"Thank you Mr. Pettigrew. That will be all. The defense is completed." Because this was such an important trial, Minister Cornelius Fudge himself was residing as judge.  
"I think that Mr. Pettigrew's statement has finished this trial. Mr. Black, you are-" Suddenly, a wizard ran into the room.  
"Minister, sir! Some red haired woman is running around the street, attacking people! Says that the date is off by sixteen years! Keeps saying something about a green flash!" At this statement, Sirius and Remus stood up immediately.  
"Minister, sir, if you could declare me innocent, I would like to go help everyone outside. I believe that Moony and I can help."  
"Of course, Mr. Black. You are innocent of all crimes that you have been prosecuted for." Sirius smiled, then started to run out of the room.  
"Sirius, wait! I want to help!"  
"Harry. I must speak to you before then." Professor Dumbledore grabbed Harry's arm.  
"But Professor-"  
"No buts, Harry. You missed a lot while you've been so upset about Ron and Hermione this week, Albus needs to fill you in."  
"But-"  
"No buts !"  
"Oh, okay. But make it quick, Professor."  
"Harry, tell me, how do you prevent the Unforgivable Curses?"  
"What? You can't prevent them, Professor. You can throw off the Imperius Curse, and sometimes resist the pain of the Curciatus Curse, but you can't prevent them."  
"Correct. But it seems that you discovered a way to undo the ones that do lasting harm during your battle with Voldemort."  
"I did?"  
"Yes. While we aren't exactly sure, we know that you are the first person to break a wand that performed Unforgivable Curses while the person that cast the spells is still alive."  
"As in we'd better not break my wand before I die, 'cause then Voldemort will come back."  
"Yes."  
"This means that Ron and Hermione are alive!"  
"Wait. Harry, we aren't certain that this works. It may take many years, or they may never wake up. We can only hope." Harry's smile turned upside down.  
"You mean.. while it's obviously my mother outside, screaming and yelling, Ron and Hermione might not be alive?"  
"I'm sorry Harry. Now then, why don't you go help Sirius and Remus?"  
"Okay Professor." Harry answered, in a rather subdued fashion. He walked out of the courtroom, to find Sirius and Remus running after a woman with matted red hair.  
"Lily! It's me, it's Sirius, will you stop for a moment?"  
"No! It's impossible! You aren't that old, it's not 2003! Where is James?!" Harry managed to get in front of the rampaging woman that was his mother.  
"Sirius, Remus, need some help?" He asked, forcing a smile. Suddenly, Lily Potter halted.  
"J- J- James?"  
"Um- sorry, wrong Potter."  
"What the hell are you talking about, James Potter? The only other Potter alive is Harry, and he is only a year old!"  
"No, sorry, but I'm most definitely not a year old. After all, I can't exactly be a seventh year Gryffindor Seeker and Quidditch Captain if I'm to young to even go to Hogwarts, can I?"  
"Seventh year? But.. that would mean... that it really is 2003.  
"Exactly. 2003. You've been... well, dead, for sixteen... almost seventeen.. years."  
"Dead?!"  
"I was the only survivor.. Sent to your sister's house. Brought up there, until Ruebus Hagrid told me I was a wizard on my eleventh birthday. Been going to Hogwarts since. Remus Lupin was actually one of my professors for a year- Defense Against the Dark Arts."  
"Remus? A professor? Impossible!"  
"No, Harry is telling the truth, Lily. He survived Voldemort's attack on your house. Peter betrayed you. Harry survived with only a scar on his forehead to show it. Harry, show her, would you?" Harry lifted up his bangs.  
"Oh.. my... god." Lily stared for what seemed like forever, until Harry grumbled.  
"I hate it when people stare at my scar.."  
"Oh, sorry dear! Anyway, how am I alive?"  
"Professor Dumbledore just explained that to me- I snapped Voldemort's wand when he was still alive, it undid the killing curse. Hopefully Dad will come back. Maybe it'll undo the Cruciatus Curse too, it drove Neville's parents insane, put them in St. Mungo's. May it'll even revive Ron... And Hermione." Harry dropped his head, not wanting his mother to see him crying.  
"Oh dear, Harry, what's wrong?" Harry just continued sobbing.  
"Lily." Sirius put his hand on her shoulder, "Lily, Ron and Hermione were his best friends. Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. They were murdered by Voldemort before Harry destroyed him."  
"Oh god..."  
"You got one part wrong, Sirius." Harry said, strangely calm. "Hermione... she was more than a friend. So much more." Tears slowly fell from Harry's eyes.  
"I know, Harry. You just don't know that I know."  
"But... I never told you."  
"I'm your godfather, Harry, I know these things. Besides, I was your age once." Slowly, Harry stopped crying, and walked out of Hogsmeade to greet his friends as they returned from exams, supported by his mother, and his godfather.  
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A few weeks have passed. There is no sign of James, Ron, or Hermione. Harry's birthday is fast approaching. All that he ever does is lie in bed, silent, except during mealtimes, when his mother tries to hold awkward conversation with her son, even though she has missed most of his life.  
"Harry, is there anything in particular that you'd like for your birthday?"  
"My friends. The only thing I want is for Ron and Hermione to come back."  
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On Sirius's recommendation, Lily bought her son a new broom, even faster than the Firebolt, with hopes of getting her son to go outside and fly around. At least then he'd be out of the house.  
"Here, Harry. Sirius told me that you'd like this." Harry unwrapped the paper, slowly, not really caring what it is under the layers of wrapping paper.  
"Oh... a broom. Thanks, Mum." The doorbell rang. As Lily is getting the cake she made, Harry goes to the door. He opens it, and stares.  
"Harry! Crap, I am so glad to see you, man! You won't believe what the first thing I saw when I woke up was. I thought I had been dead for like twenty years or something!" A tall, red haired man hugs Harry.  
"...Ron?" For the first time in weeks, a smile appears on Harry's face. "Ron! You're alive! How the hell did you find me?"  
"Dad."  
"Is that your answer for everything?"  
"When it involves information, yes." Lily Potter heard the yelling, and runs into the room.  
"Harry Potter, what is the commotion?"  
"Mum! Mum, this is my friend Ron Weasley. Ron, this is my mother- snapping that stupid wand brought her back!"  
"Pleased to meet you, Mrs. Potter."  
"Nice to meet you to, Ron. It's a good thing that I made extra cake for Harry's birthday!"  
"It's your birthday?"  
"You've been dead for a while. I'm now eighteen, and a certified wizard."  
"Say, do you think I'll have to take the N.E.W.T.s?"  
"Nah, Dumbledore didn't make me take them after you and Herm... Hermione died."  
"She did? Oh god.."  
"We can talk about it later, Ron. For now, tell me why you thought you'd been dead for twenty years."  
"The first person I saw looked as lost as me. He looked just like you, except he had blue eyes, and no scar."  
"What?! Where is he? Ron, do you have any idea who that was?"  
"No clue. Thought he might be some distant relative of yours. I thought he was you at first, but he just looked confused when I called him Harry."  
"I'm not surprised- to him, Harry means his one year old son."  
"You mean... that was your dad?"  
"Mum, looks like we get to go on a James Potter hunt, we'd better call Sirius and Remus." The doorbell rang again. "Unless that's them." Harry answered the door.  
"Excuse me, I'm looking for the Potter residence. Do you know where a Lily Potter lives?" A strange figure, as tall as Harry, with a hood covering his face, asked.  
"She lives in this house, but we're kind of busy at the moment. Who are you?"  
"I think she has time to see me, I'm her husband, and if you've touched her, I swear, I'll..."  
"Why the hell would he touch his mum like that?"  
"His mum?! Then who has been touching her, anyway?"  
"Well, if you are her husband, then you."  
"What?"  
"My name is Harry Potter. And if you are Mum's husband, then you are James Potter, my dad, who needs to wish his son a happy eighteenth birthday." At the name James, Lily ran up to the door.  
"Harry, who is it, dear?" Harry smirked.  
"Why don't you see for yourself, Mum?" He answered, stepping aside as the man removed his hood. Lily Potter immediately fainted.  
"Lil!"  
"She's just a little out of it, Dad. After all, she wasn't sure if you'd ever come back from the dead."  
"Dead?"  
"Yeah, you've been dead since I was a year old, Halloween. Wormtail betrayed you. Sirius can fill you in on the details later."  
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The Potters lived together, a perfectly happy family, for many years. Well, almost perfectly happy. Every day, for a little while, Harry would still zone out, and stare at the sky, waiting for his true love to return. But as the years passed, Hermione did not return. Harry began a professional career on the England National Quidditch team, but still lived at home with his parents. Ten years after the return of Ron and James, Harry is still waiting for his love. Ron and Neville, whose parents returned to normal about a year after Voldemort's death, are taking Harry out for a night in town in honor of his birthday.  
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"Come on, Harry, let's go, they're holding a reunion party at Hogsmeade today for our year!"  
"Ron, you know what happened to me during the last party I went to at Hogsmeade."  
"Harry, you need to put the past behind you. Hermione is dead, she's not coming back. I'm sorry. But besides, some of the girls from our class are still single. Go, have fun, hang out."  
"Neville..."  
"No buts, Harry, you're going whether or not you want to."  
"Darn."  
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Around eleven, Harry heads outside for a walk. He needed to get away from all the loud noise, dancing, the people... It reminds him of the night too much. As he walks around the park, he notices a pretty girl sitting by a pond, silently, obviously deep in thought. While he doesn't recognize her, there is something about her that attracts him to her. He sits down beside her, not bothering to see who it is.  
"Hi." The girl doesn't even look up at him.  
"Hi."  
"Is the noise to much for you too?"  
"Yeah... it reminds me of that night ten years ago."  
"Me two... The one person I ever loved died that night."  
"I lost the person I loved too."  
"But... only two people died that night, and Ron's alive..."  
"I didn't know that."  
"He and my father came back about ten years ago... on my birthday."  
"You father?"  
"James Potter. My mum came back a week after I destroyed Voldemort." The girl was silent for a moment, then, in a quivering voice replied.  
"H- H- Harry?"  
"That's me. Harry Potter, the boy who lived. Harry Potter, the one who destroyed Voldemort. Harry Potter, the Quidditch star. Harry Potter, the one who still is mourning for Hermione Granger's death."  
"But- Harry- I'm not dead." Harry took in these words, and looked up at the girl who was staring at him, that he had been talking to for a few minutes.  
"Hermione?"  
"Oh god, Harry, you won't believe this, they wouldn't let me in, thought I really was dead! I wanted to find you, but I didn't know you address on the Floo Network, and they wouldn't give it to me, because apparently they had to be careful to make sure that a Death Eater wouldn't go after your family!"  
"Hermione... you're alive."  
"Of course, you dolt!"  
"Oh my god... You're alive! You're alive!" Ron and Neville heard Harry's yells of joy, as they were outside looking for their friend. "You're alive! Oh man, Herm, I've been waiting for this to happen since that day that my mom came back, I'd almost given up hope that you could possibly be alive."  
"Harry? What's going on?" The happy couple turned to see their red haired friend staring at them.  
"Ron! Ron, it's me, Hermione! I'm alive!"  
"Hermione... Oh man, you really are alive!"  
"Hermione!"  
"Neville, is that you? Hey, great to see you!" The happy friends shrieks grew so loud that almost all of the reunion spilled out into the park, to see what was going on. The reunion moved outside, celebrating the return of the last of Voldemort's victims.  
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After the reunion, Harry and Hermione returned to the Potter house by Floo Powder. Unfortunately, it was already seven in the morning, and the Potter parents are waiting in the kitchen for their son to come home.  
"Harry Potter, where have you been all night? You said that you'd be home three hours ago!"  
"Mum! Calm down, please! Mum! I have a good excuse!"  
"You still live with your parents?"  
"Well so-rry, Mione! I missed out on sixteen years with them, remember?"  
"Oh yeah, sorry Harry."  
"It's okay, Hermione, I'm sure you know how you can make it up to me." Harry smirked. Hermione gives him a 'look', then complies with his 'request', kissing him. But this just upsets Lily more.  
"Who is this slut, Harry? You- get your hands and lips off my son!"  
"Mum! Mum, this is not a slut! The last person to call Hermione a slut was threatened with death, but I'll be a little less horrible with you. Just stop yelling and let me introduce her before you grab your wand!"  
"No, Harry, it's okay. I really shouldn't have done that in front of your parents without at least introducing myself to them."  
"As in you would have done it if we weren't in the room?!"  
"Mum! Mum, be quiet, please! This is Hermione Granger, my friend, the one who was killed by Voldemort ten years ago!"  
"Oh... dear. Now I feel like an idiot."  
"It's nice to meet you too, Mrs. Potter, Mr. Potter."  
"Lily and James will do, Hermione. anything else makes us feel old."  
"Well, I am twenty eight years old..."  
"Harry, I'm warning you..."  
"Shutting up, Dad."  
"Now then, Harry, I gather that the reason that you are so late is because you discovered that Hermione is alive?"  
"Exactly, Mum."  
"Wonderful, just wonderful, my son is out all night with a woman that I don't even know..."  
"Mum! We didn't do anything!"  
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For the next six months, Harry and Hermione dated, going out on dates almost every night, their love growing stronger every time they saw each other. Finally, Harry rented an apartment, and Hermione moved in with him. After a month of living together, Harry went to the jewelry store. He had arranged to have a piece specially made, and it was ready. That night, after dinner, the couple went out on the balcony to watch the sunset.  
"Hermione?"  
"What is it, Harry?"  
"Well.. you see, Hermione... Hermione..." Harry got down on one knee, and started to talk, "Hermione Granger, I have been in love with you since our fourth year at Hogwarts. I tried to deny it for all those years, but in my heart, I knew that these other girls weren't right for me. When Ginny dumped me, it was almost the happiest day of my life, since I could ask you to go with me to the dance. After you were killed, my life wasn't worth it. I wasn't truly anything, I needed you to be whole. Then I discovered that you were alive, and it was as if I had been reborn. I knew that I needed to spend the rest of my life with you. So, what I'm trying to say is.." Harry took a deep breath, "Hermione Granger, will you marry me?" Harry held out a small box. Hermione opened it. Inside the box laid a gold ring with a specially cut diamond inlaid in it. The diamond was shaped like a book and a broomstick, crossed. Inscribed on the ring were a few words...  
"The Head Girl and the Quidditch Captain, together forever . Oh god, Harry..."  
"Is that a yes?"  
"Of course it is, Harry. Of course I'll marry you. I love you."  
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One thousand years have passed since Harry proposed. Their bodies long buried, side by side, and their house fallen down, their decedents search the rubble. They only find two things. One is a portrait painted at their wedding, the two eternally locked in a passionate kiss. The other is Hermione's engagement ring.  
  
The Head Girl and the Quidditch Captain, together forever. 


End file.
